Improvement in whiffletree-hooks



E. E. MORSE. Whiffletree-Hook.

No. 205,121. Patehte-d June 18, 1878.

WITNESSES INVENTOR (74 ATTORNEY N- PETERS, PHOTO-IIYH'HGRAPNER,WASHINGTON n C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIoE.

IMPROVEMENT IN WHlFFLETREE-HOOKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.

March To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN E. MORSE, of South Bethel, in the county ofOxford and State of Maine, have invented a new and valuable Improvementin Safety Whiffletree- Irons; and Ido hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the construction andoperation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,making a part of this. specification, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a side view of myimproved whiffletree-iron. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof,showing the hook locked; and Fig. 3 is a like section, showing the hookunlocked.

This invention has relation to improvements in hooks for the ends ofwhiffletrees.

The nature of the invention consists in combining with a vibrating hookprojecting from the socket-iron through its slotted end, and having anotched inner end, a vibrating latch projecting through the said iron,and provided with afshouldered end engaging said hook, and a springbearing against the heel of the latch and maintaining its engagementwith the hook, whereby means are provided for releasing the hooks andallowing the traces to slip off therefrom, as will be hereinafter morefully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A indicates a metallic socketiron,into which the end of the single-tree is inserted; B, the tracehook; O,the latch, and D the spring.

The iron A has at its outer end a longitudinal slot, t, of suchdimensions as to allow the hook B, that is inserted in it and secured tothe iron by a pivot-pin, a, to vibrate to the extent of an arc offorty-five degrees. At its inner end the hook is stepped or notched, asshown at c c, for a purpose hereinafter shown.

205,121, dated June 18, 1878 application filed 16, 1878.

The latch O is inserted into the slot i at right angles to the length ofthe single-tree, and is pivoted to the iron by a pin, d, so as tovibrate freely in its length. It is provided upon its front edge with arectangular rabbet, forming a shoulder, n, with which the end of thetrace-hook-is engaged when in position.

The latch is held to its engagement with the hook by a spring, D, thefront end of which is secured to the socket, with its rear end bearingagainst the heel of the latch. This latter is provided; at its endprojecting equivalent device, to which is attached a cord leading to thedrivers seat, by drawing upon which the latch is swung back to the innerend of the slot i, free from the hook, which then, being unsupported,swings to the front in the position shown in Fig. 3, and allows thetrace to slip off from it. v

The hook is prevented from undue forward vibration by the shoulder a,which abuts against the end of the socket-iron, while the shoulder 0forms the lip at the end of said hook for engaging the latch.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the socket-iron A, having longitudinal slot 1', ofthe curved tracehook B, having shoulders c 0 vibrating in said slot, therabbeted latch G, and spring D, secured to the socket-iron and bearingagainst the heel of the latch, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two Witnesses.

EDWIN E. MORSE.

Witnesses:

WILBER F. LITTLE, THOS. B. SEEVEY.

beyond the socket-iron, with an eye or other

